


Pride of The Fallen

by 6_Binx_6



Series: Filled Requests [3]
Category: Devil May Cry, DmC: Devil May Cry
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Anger, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Begging, Child Death, Complete, Demons, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Hell, Hell Trauma, Idealism, Imagination, Last Love Making, Love/Hate, Master/Servant, Memory Loss, Mental Health Issues, Mind Control, Mind Rape, Murder, Other, Prequel, Pride, Psychological Torture, Rape, Siblings, Slavery, Torture, Warrior - Freeform, Work Contains Fan Art, energy manipulation, escaping hell, multiple child deaths, request, sword play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-13 13:05:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14112954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/6_Binx_6/pseuds/6_Binx_6
Summary: Laughter bubbled up from Mundus's throat, menacing and demonic as his eyes glowed faintly red. Vergil gripped the hilt of Yamato a little tighter and narrowed his eyes.“Such a good boy. So patient. So skilled. I can tell Sparda taught you well. I'll reward you...for now.”Vergil didn't have time to react as the dark energy snapped out suddenly and hit him square in the chest. He couldn't fight it physically, but he felt his mind scream from the assault. He tried to get up from the floor as he had fallen backward, but he wasn't able to move. It was as if his body wasn't his own and he struggled in vain as Mundus's soft heeled steps approached.Mundus looked down at Vergil and grinned a wickedly evil smile at him.“Welcome home, Vergil."**This work also contains artwork by Limboolian, a big fan of the Tales of Devil May Cry series.**





	1. The Fall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Limboolian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Limboolian/gifts).



> Requested by Limboolian:
> 
> _helooooo there:D i guess it is time for make a request:D_
> 
> _soo if it is possible, can you please write a story about how Vergil has been captured and the torture he has endured ^^_
> 
> This is a very special request to me as I just finished with Part 2 of the Tales of Devil May Cry, _Mirror of Malice_. I had to really dig deep on this one, re-read the first Part, _Angles May Fall_ and remind myself how Devil May Cry 3 ended. I hope I did this justice for you Limboolian!
> 
> Side Note: This is going to be multiple chapters, but will be a shorter fic.

* * *

Vergil watched as Dante's image disappeared as he fell. For some reason, the look on Dante's face was a mix of sadness and regret. It was too late to have such fateful sentiments towards one another. He was going to gain their father's power and he would defeat Mundus. Or he would die trying.

However, as he fell, Dante's face still seemed burned in the back of his mind. Even as he fell into the darkness of Hell that awaited him. It wouldn't be the last time he saw his younger brother, but he knew when they did meet again, it would probably be one of their deaths.

So be it.

Someone had to claim their father's power. If not him, then who?

Vergil drifted for what felt like an eternity. The Fall was a long one, the wind whipping by his ears loudly until the harsh sting of Brimstone assaulted his nose and he saw the first whisper of light.

When he was a boy, he would often try to speak to his father about his birthplace—Hell. It was nearly impossible to gain any information about it—what it looked like, what it smelled like, etc. On the rare occasion though, he could be guided into speaking about it.

“ _The Fall. It's a reminder to us all, that we have fallen from 'grace'. Every time we enter a Hell Gate, we encounter the Fall. It's terrifying, thrilling and...ominous. The first light you see when you fall is not of the sun, for there is no such thing there. But the fires in the Burned Lands where fire demons gather. Their light is the only one you'll ever see there. Everything else is cast in darkness._ ”

Vergil watched through slitted eyes as he found the source of the light in the Burned Lands. With the fire rose large billows of smoke and ash that filtered down from the sky below. The bright yellows and reds scorched the sky in a brilliant orange that was almost sickly with the smoke.

“ _The next and possibly the last thing you see is the castle. Mundus's castle—the only structure built in Hell. It looms over the surrounding lands like a watchful eye on the demons it rules. There is no safe place to hide from its gaze. If Lord Mundus calls, you must obey and come to the castle. Sometimes it's for errands, and other times...it's for entertainment._ ”

Looking off to the other side, the castle was easy to spot. It's large, black body faintly flickered with torchlight as it stood high on a hill. It overlooked the entire area and Vergil knew without a doubt that by its massive size alone, it could take decades to make his way through it to find Mundus.

But it didn't matter, he had time now. All the time in the world...

Time didn't exist in Hell. Or perhaps it was more appropriate to say that it didn't work the same way in Hell that it did in the human world. His father had hinted in their few talks about how Time had its own rules in Hell. What felt like a thousand years could only be a second in the human world and vise-versa. No one seemed to know why it worked like that, but his father had said that it was on purpose when Hell was first created in order to gain the upper hand in the first Angelic War.

Vergil continued his decent with no care where he might end up. It didn't matter anyway. He was going to have to fight his way to the heart of the castle, regardless if he landed in the nearby forest or at its front gate.

Something...dark...slipped around him. A presence. He couldn't see it, but he felt it feel him, this dark energy. At first, he thought nothing of it, but a moment later it gripped his body so tight that every muscle contracted and the wind was forced out of his lungs.

Vergil tried to fight it, tried to breathe, but it was no use. Whatever it was, sank its talons into him from the inside and yanked him towards the castle. Unable to scream through the pain as he wanted, he felt his blood boil with the need for oxygen. His vision narrowed, darkness closing in with the wind whistling past his ears.

Between one heartbeat and the next, Vergil slammed through the first stone wall. His back took the brunt of it, but it didn't stop there. He tumbled as he rolled onto the ground, stone and marble bits of dust covered his blue coat as he was yanked yet again. This time he was pulled up through the floor above.

One...

Two...

Three floors...

And it didn't stop there. It seemed like forever until finally, his body bloody, broken and dirty stopped moving. The dark energy released him and he collapsed, coughing and gagging for much-needed air. His desperate breathing was interrupted by a chuckle of harsh laughter.

“Well, this is a surprise. I was wondering how long it would take one of Sparda's bastard children to visit their father's homeland.”

Vergil managed, just barely, to hold back a horrible bloodied cough as he looked up. Eyes slowly focusing on the man before him. Mundus sat on a large throne made of stone, metal, and bone... Both human and demon alike. Their jawbones twisted in agony, hollow eyes staring back at Vergil as if they were judging him.

It was a nice trick. But it was going to take more than grand gestures and horrific sights to rattle him. Nightmares didn't come easily to him anymore. He often thought they never had.

Vergil forced himself to stand, ignoring the pain that racked his body and made his head feel dizzy. He may have been half demon, but after Dante had cut his abdomen with their father's sword...he was feeling worse than he had in a long time. A moment later, Vergil stood straight with his shoulders square and Yamato in his clenched hand.

The room was empty, not a demon in sight, only Mundus. His shoulder length dark hair framed his masculine face as he smirked.

“I see you've brought what belongs to me.” Mundus motioned to the sword in his hand and Vergil kept his face icy.

“This sword is mine.”

“I think not, Son of Sparda.” Something flashed in Mundus's eyes as he leaned forward, one elbow still resting on the arm of his throne while the other arm was slightly pushing him towards Vergil.

Vergil didn't say anything and the two merely stared at each other. The tension in the room was high, the silence weighted. One of them was going to strike first and Vergil knew without a doubt that Mundus would make the first move.

But he just sat there.

Watching.

Waiting.

Laughter bubbled up from Mundus's throat, menacing and demonic as his eyes glowed faintly red. Vergil gripped the hilt of Yamato a little tighter and narrowed his eyes.

“Such a good boy. So patient. So skilled. I can tell Sparda taught you well. I'll reward you...for now.”

Vergil didn't have time to react as the dark energy snapped out suddenly and hit him square in the chest. He couldn't fight it physically, but he felt his mind scream from the assault. He tried to get up from the floor as he had fallen backward, but he wasn't able to move. It was as if his body wasn't his own and he struggled in vain as Mundus's soft heeled steps approached.

Mundus looked down at Vergil and grinned a wickedly evil smile at him.

“Welcome home, Vergil."


	2. Doe Eyed Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got a lot darker than I meant it to. I had a really bad day and it came out in my writing. Fair warning - this chapter is about killing small children. >_< It's not exactly graphic per-se, but after re-reading it a few times... Let's just say that it would be exactly like Mundus (in my brain anyway) to break Vergil using something that he didn't even know he cared about. 
> 
> Also, Trish makes an appearance in this as she was well under Mundus's control during this time frame.

* * *

Vergil knew pain.

He knew all its variations and depths; its harsh reality and emotional as well as physical impact. But this...this wasn't pain.

It was torture.

“Again,” Mundus said once more, his voice bored as Trish – a demon who looked strikingly like his mother – ran her slender fingers through her Master's hair. Her full lips glistened as she smiled softly at Vergil. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her slender shoulders and ended at her large chest. Both she and Mundus laid on the large bed, naked and barely covered with a sheet.

He knew it wasn't his mother, he knew. But having been forced to watch Mundus make love to her repeatedly had forever etched the image in his mind. He..did love his mother. She was dead and gone now, but this demon...

Vergil growled lowly as his body shook from the dark energy forcing him to stand once more and begin walking towards the large double doors of the bedroom. He wasn't in control of his body anymore, but his mind was free to scream and thrash – and it did. He thought at first watching Mundus have sex with a demon who looked like his mother was just to make him disgusted.

Which was true...but it wasn't all of it. It was only the warm-up.

What came next was...worse.

Vergil tried is best to ignore the bodies he passed as he made his way to the doors. Blood coated the marble floor in a sticky bright red mess of horror that made bile rise up in his mouth. Yet his horror did not show on his face. With his body not in his control, it was easy to let his body do the motions. However painful it might have been.

Reaching the door, Vergil ignored the playful giggle Trish let out. His bloody hand clasped the handle and pulled it open easily. The next sacrifice was already waiting.

_How long will this go on?_ He wondered as the small human child with soft brown hair and large doe eyes stared at him. She looked meek, her tears staining her small cheeks. It was clear she had no idea how she came to be in this place or what was going to happen to her. However, that moment was fleeting as her gaze shifted passed Vergil and to the floor behind him. Her lip quivered and new tears fell, her eyes growing to plead as she looked at his silent, stoic face.

_Please...don't look at me like that._ Vergil's mind cursed. He'd never been one to really see children for what they were before. After all, it had been a long time since he had been one himself. But as he looked at this small little girl before him, something in his chest tightened painfully. She looked...innocent...

“P-please...” She barely whispered.

Vergil felt something bubble up out of his mouth, but it wasn't anything coherent. It was a deep low growl and the girl tensed.

“I said, 'again'.” Mundus's voice harsh as a rush of dark energy lashed out at Vergil and the girl. Both of them visibly tensed and the girl's body shook as she was forced to take a step into the room.

“Oh my Lord, she is so pretty,” Trish said softly, almost motherly as she played with Mundus's hair.

Vergil shut the door and turned to follow the girl passed the other small bodies of children that laid dead. He thought that he would grow numb to slaughtering them as time went on, but he was wrong. It only got worse with every single one. Mundus would make them enter and then would release his hold on them, forcing Vergil to catch them and kill them as they screamed and struggled. The dark energy forcing him to get more violent each time.

The girl walked until she stood in the only clean spot on the floor directly in front of the bed, leaving a trail of bloody little footprints behind. Her legs were shaking and her arms were wrapped around herself. Vergil tried to steel himself to what he was about to do, trying desperately for the millionth time to fight against the energy pushing at him.

It was no use.

Vergil stopped directly before the girl and drew Yamato, bringing it down to his side. The sword's hilt was warm, almost hot as if the slaughter of so many innocent human children was igniting something inside it. He could almost feel its own metallic energy humming as he brought the sword up.

The girl looked at him with her wide doe eyes, her bottom lip trembling as she stared at him. Vergil felt himself pause as he looked at her. It was clear she was able to move on her own accord now, her body tense but not the same as it had been.

_Why isn't she running?_

The others had run. They had run, screamed, thrown things, cried, begged... But not this girl. She just looked at him, no words spoken from her soft lips.

Mundus laughed loudly as the girl stood there, unmoving.

“Well, seems we have a spirited one here! Trish.” He motioned for Trish to get off the bed and she obeyed, not caring that her body was fully naked as she left the sheets of the bed. She sauntered over to Vergil, kissing his clenched jawline.

“My Lord, she seems so sweet. Might we keep her?” Trish asked seductively as she walked around Vergil, trailing her hands over his back and around to his front. His blue coat was a mess and would never be the same. Trish's hands became bloodied as she let her fingertips trail over his lapels and under the inside of his coat. If Vergil was able to move, he would have cut her head off. As it was Yamato was shaking with the effort to do his will.

“No. Humans have no use but for entertainment. Vergil...” Mundus's words were bitter cold and Vergil found himself staring at Trish's face. For one brief moment, painful sorrow creased her features. As if his response hurt her physically. She locked gazes with him and her eyes weren't the seductress he'd seen. This was an entirely different person. One trapped by her position and unable to stop the horrors she had to take part in.

Just like that, it was over and Trish moved to his side, out of reach of Yamato. She kneeled down to the trembling girl and caressed her face with her bloodied hands. The girl sobbed softly, trying to turn her head away from her hands, but still didn't run. With that, Trish moved completely out of the way and as soon as she was clear of the girl Vergil felt the push of dark energy force his hands and arms to move.

He cut down the small girl as tears streaked through the fresh blood on her face. Vergil promised himself, deep inside to his core...

He would never, ever forget this girl...

He would avenge her...

The girl with the doe colored eyes...


	3. Failure of a Half-Breed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter, sorry about that. The next one should be longer though.

* * *

Vergil was a bleeding lump of barely breathing flesh on the floor. The fight with Dante at Fortuna Castle had been a reminiscent and also...a failure. It had been a long time since he had such a moment of clarity that he was able to think clear thoughts. Mundus had taken his time breaking him – body and soul. What little part of himself that wasn't broken, hidden away like a precious gem, seem to wake up with the physical pain of approaching death.

_I wish he would have killed me before I was pulled back..._

The thought was a small one, a yearning for the pain and misery to end. If he was to die, he would have preferred his brother be the one to cut him down. He had grown into a strong warrior, even if Vergil still felt that his use of guns was pathetic. It briefly occurred to him that he missed his brother. Just the sound of his sarcastic, playful voice was enough to send his heart aching for home.

_Home..._

Even now that he lay there dying, he wasn't sure he fully remembered what the Human world was like. It was bright from what he could recall, and the outside air didn't reek of brimstone and death. It was like a dream, lucid and unable to fully control any aspect of it. It looked almost like heaven...if there was such a place.

Vergil let his mind wander aimlessly as he spluttered blood from his mouth. Mundus had pulled him back using a piece of something called the Divine metal he'd laced around his mother's amulet. For some reason, Mundus wasn't able to remove it from his neck or Yamato from his hand. Even forcing Vergil to give it to him had caused Mundus damage. A few times ending in flames and a small explosion. It seemed that Vergil had to give it willingly, which he would never do.

 _Where is my sword?_ He briefly wondered. It wasn't in his hand as far as he could tell. Maybe it had been left behind in the Human world? He was pretty sure the sword had broken with Dante's last strike. If that was the case, there was no way it would open up the Hell Gates now.

The thought of Mundus no longer having access to the sword made a harsh chuckle escape him. He must have been delirious because the sudden amusement came from nowhere. He'd been laying here a long time, pulled from The Fall and again through the walls of the castle to lay where anyone could kill him.

And they would kill him. If not Mundus for failing in his mission, then certainly another demon bent on proving himself. Despite his constant inner battle to control his body and mind again, Vergil had somehow managed to move up into a high ranking position. His skills were no match for his opponents. If you could call slaughtering whoever Mundus tossed in front of his blade an opponent.

A few more long moments and Vergil felt his body wake from passing out. He didn't know how long he'd been out, but he knew it must have been a while. The quick steps of someone coming closer made him fully alert, however, he knew better than to try and take a look at who was coming. He already knew anyway...

The dark energy lashed out viciously, causing Vergil to scream in agony as it drove through his body like a spike.

“You pathetic, useless half-breed! You've cost me almost everything!”

Mundus's rage lashed out again and again, Vergil's body contorting and shaking from the pain. His screams filled the large hall as Mundus circled him, energy ripping his insides.

“I have no use for a weakling! Your brother is who should have come for his father's power! Not you!”  
Vergil screamed again as Mundus kicked his middle hard with a demon clawed foot. He wasn't able to see clearly, but it was obvious Mundus was close to losing his control on his facade. Regardless of the pain, Vergil felt himself laugh as he coughed up more blood on the already blood covered floor.

“I think...you might...be right...” He said breathlessly. He sneered up at Mundus's inhuman face as he growled lowly.

“I will get what I want. One way or another. Luckily for you...” Mundus grinned evilly as he kneeled down to grab Vergil by his throat, making him gag.

“I have another plan for you now, my little half-breed...”

 


	4. Glimpse of the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, for those about to read this chapter there are parts of this that refer back to _Angles May Fall_. So if you haven't read it yet and are a little lost towards the end, please check out the first part of Tales of Devil May Cry. 
> 
> I wrote this chapter because the fans of that fic truly loved it. I hope you enjoy Limboolian, as this idea was inspired by you.

* * *

Sounds of screaming startled Vergil awake. The room was completely black with no light to aid his eyes in search of the screaming he'd heard. He was covered in sweat, his white hair hung in his eyes to tickle his lashes relentlessly. It took him a moment to discover his wrists were tied above his head and he was swinging dangerously back and forth, unable to touch the ground. He was also fully naked...a disturbing thought in the darkness.

The sounds of screaming continued on as he tried to move his exhausted limbs, but it was no use. Either he was too physically weak, or he'd been hanging in this position for a long time. Either way, he wasn't strong enough to grab hold of the chain binding his wrists to attempt an escape. But really, he was in Hell...where could he have gone? Without his sword, he'd be unable to pass through one of the Hell Gates to the Human world.

The screaming became manic and fever pitch, the sound echoing off the walls in a cascade of horror that grated on his ears. He couldn't tell which direction it was coming from, but he suspected that it was nearby. Perhaps below him...? It was hard to distinguish if the screams were female or male, as it was clear whoever was making the noise had lost all sense of self.

Regardless of Vergil attempting to be calm, he found his heartbeat increase and a stir of panic set in. Emotions were definitely the enemy in this place. The sudden knowledge that he physically felt the panic made him pause. He must have been out of his mind for it took him far too long to realize he had complete control over his body and mind. The knowledge slowly crept in and suddenly the drive to get free became doubled. He wanted out. He still wanted his father's power, but he'd severe underestimated Mundus and his reign in Hell.

The screaming cut off, the silence deafening for a few moments before it was followed by a wet gurgle. Whoever had been screaming had just met their end. Vergil listened intently, trying to calm his anxiety that was creeping out of nowhere. He heard nothing though and several long, dark minutes passed before he focused his attention back on the chain holding him. It was obvious that it would have to be bolted to something, but he wasn't sure how far down the drop was. It could simply be an illusion to make him panic, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt that if he did manage to drop it would most likely be his end.

Vergil braced himself and worked for his hands around so he could at last grip the chain. He grunted with effort as he tried to get his overstretched, exhausted arms to pull his weight. Muscles screamed in agony and he tried kicking his feet to help with the pulling up motion. All he ended up doing though was swing back and forth, twisting around a few times as the chain squeaked with the strain. He tried again, pushing the feeling of impending doom down as far as it could go until he managed to get both hands on the chain. It was a victory, albeit a small one.

“S-s-someone...is-s-s...s-s-swinging...” Said a high pitched voice from behind him. It raised the hairs on the back of his neck and startled him into almost letting go of all the progress he had made. Gritting his teeth with the strain on his hands, Vergil quickly looked around in the darkness. It's not like he would see who was behind him anyway, but sometimes one had to look regardless of sight.

The voice spoke no more as Vergil focused on his task at hand. He couldn't stop the feeling that he was bait on a string, waiting for the end to come for him. If he sat and did nothing, he'd be giving up. It'd be a cold day in Hell before that happened. Vergil let out another pain filled groan as he slowly started inching his hands up the chain. It was unnerving in this much darkness. His slow progress had him believing that whoever had spoken to him was still watching. Quite possibly amused at his pitiful attempt at freedom.

“S-s-son of S-s-Sparda...” The voice spoke again, taking a deep breath and letting out a pleasured sigh. Vergil felt his skin prickle as the air shifted, something large moving around him. He said nothing, there wasn't really a point in speaking. It was clear that whatever it knew exactly where he was and could kill him at any time. Keeping his hands moving something lashed out and struck him hard in the chest, causing him to lose his grip and fall, only to be yanked to a stop by the chain. He let out a yell of pain as the chain bruised and dug into his wrists with unforgiving force.

“Tch...tch...tch...” The voice clicked its tongue and Vergil winced when a scaly, sharp tentacle caressed his bare chest and neck.

“You may not leave this-s-s place... But if you wis-s-sh, I'll s-s-show you your...future...” It chuckled softly in his ear, shifting his hair as it did. Vergil tried to pull away, but it was no use. The tentacle tightened around his neck making him choke for a few panicked moments until it finally let go.

“I have no interest in your games. If you're going to kill me, do it now.” Vergil spat the moment he was able to gain his voice back. The shifting darkness paused and he felt it loom closer to him, sniffing the air around him like a dog.

“Games-s-s...No...games-s-s. And no death... Lord Mundus-s-s...has-s-s commanded me to drain you of your Will.” The high pitch of its voice grew softer as if in contemplation and silence stretched out. Vergil knew better than to think the thing was gone, but he couldn't stay hanging like this for much longer. He needed to move and escape, or at least try.

“Then get to it.” Vergil sneered, egging on the creature a hairs breath away from his face. It chuckled softly and Vergil felt another tentacle wrap around his legs. Their touch felt light acid and Vergil started to trash as more of them wrapped around his body until he could barely breathe through their coils.

“Firs-s-st a tes-s-st... Your future...decides-s-s your fate...”

With teeth clenched, Vergil held back the string of curses he wanted to scream, but only barely. Bright yellow eyes like candlelight appeared in the darkness and came steadily closer, to stop just before him. He tried to control his panicked breathing, but after being under Mundus's control for so long it was as if his body couldn't contain its once icy control on itself.

The eyes danced back and forth, moving back and then coming forward once more. Vergil tried not to focus on them, but with the darkness, it was impossible to look anywhere else. Before long, Vergil felt his body grow limp. His desperate fight to keep his wits about him left and he fell into a steady gaze at the yellow eyes.

“S-s-sleep...” The voice whispered.

* * *

_Dante gritted his teeth slightly as they made their way up the stairs and down the hall to the girls' room, 613._

_Nero was trying to keep the look on his face blank, but it was obvious from the stench that someone or something had vomited in the hallway. Upon reaching the door, Vergil stood silently as Dante reach over to turn the bloodied knob with his gloved hand. The demonic energy was dissipating, and he had no idea what they were going to be facing on the other side of the door._

Vergil blinked in rapid motions as the vision of his brother and a younger man named Nero flashed before his eyes. It was as if he was watching a movie version of himself move about and interact with people, places and things he had no memory of. His field of vision shifted once more to a young woman, covered in blood and her angelic wings limp at her sides...

* * *

_Vergil felt himself move without really focusing on the why of it. Taking off his long blue coat with silver stitching, he reached out to the girl. His hard hands tucked the cloth around her bloody naked form and the next moment he lifted her up into his arms. Her large blue eyes stared at Nero's surprised face and Dante's shocked one._

_"Bro...?" Dante said curiously as Nero blinked, clearly unsure what to say since he'd made such an unusual show of compassion. From the corner of his eye, he could see the girls' confused expression as he shifted his arms slightly, in order to allow for her wings to settle more comfortably. It seemed to comfort her and her eyes half closed with exhausting._

_"I'm not cleaning up that mess." He said in a clipped tone as he made his way past Nero and Dante. He opened the door smoothly with one of his hands, pressing the girl harder against him for a moment before walking her into his room and shutting the door with a solid click._

* * *

The scene shifted again and Vergil felt a wave of nausea as the next images began to fill his field of vision.

_Vergil stumbled backward taken by surprise as his face was met with soft, warm, sugary pancakes. The girl had used such force that the plate broke instantly, leaving sharp pieces of plate littering the floor and causing the plate in his hand to meet the same fate._

_He was going to kill her._

_He didn't care if they had agreed to look after her and keep her safe._

_Vergil felt pieces of pancake slip off his face and land in a soft plop on the floor of his room. Warm butter and sticky syrup covered his face and dripped down his chin and onto his shirt. Opening his eyes, he glared at the mute._

_Sudden bright, happy laughter that was loud and full-bodied met his ears. She was half doubled over and laughing at him. Her eyes squeezed shut as she laughed, a piece of silver-white hair that had fallen out of her braid hanging down to frame her sharp features. Her cheeks were a soft pink and if he wasn't so pissed off, he'd have thought it was beautiful..._

* * *

Vergil felt his heart give a painful thud as the next images came.

_The air shifted slightly, it was an old building and there was probably a draft somewhere. Vergil kept his eyes closed, trying to savor the cool, shift of air on his sweaty skin and the calm he had finally found._

_Vergil snapped his eyes open as the feel of soft, warm feminine hands trailed down his shoulders, his back and finally down his sides. It took him a moment to keep his face blank, recognizing the smell of her shampoo instantly. Slowly, he turned his head to look over his shoulder as the girl looked up at him with damp hair and bright blue eyes._

_"I'm sorry." Her voice was soft and held a sweetness that he had unfortunately come to..._

_"I didn't mean to startle you." She continued, interrupting his thoughts. Vergil gripped the handle of Yamato a little harder as he stepped away from her silently. The calm he'd worked for was suddenly shattered by a wash of emotion and mixed thoughts._

_For instance..._

_He wanted her to touch him more..._

_Yet, he wanted to touch her..._

_And at the same time, he wanted her to get the hell away from him._

* * *

Vergil screamed as his chest tightened again, it felt like he was dying. The high pitched voice giggled softly, never letting the images stop...

_"You two are fucking unbelievable..." Cursed Lady as she openly glared at Vergil and Nero. Both looking bruised, bloody and worse for wear than after a normal battle. After 61—Mercy—did whatever it was she did, she and Nero fell to the ground. It didn't take long for Vergil to attack Nero as he stood clutching his head. The fight lasted a lot longer than anyone thought it would. Both half demons almost equally matched in fighting skill...much to Dante's verbal amusement._

_"Yeah," said Dante as he flipped the page on his Silver & Lead weekly gun magazine. He paid no attention as a Lady shot him a wicked look before turning back to Vergil and Nero, who was at present sitting on opposite ends of the couch. Lady and Kyrie had taken Mercy upstairs to Vergil's room since he insisted; while a Lady chose to get the facts and add in an ass chewing for good measure._

_"You two selfish assholes need to get a grip and start talking. I got the gist of it while you two were screaming at each other. By the way, I hope you are happy about her bleeding the whole damn time with that sword stuck in her rib cage." Lady said sarcastically as she crossed her arms._

_Vergil sneered as Nero refused to look at anyone and gave his own version of non-caring._

_"Yeah," Dante said again as he flipped another page on his magazine. All three looked at him with varying degrees of annoyance. Dante grinned as he noticed them looking at him and tossed his magazine down on the desk before standing._

_"Aw come on Lady, they were just working out their father/son issues in the only way we know how." He said as Nero clicked his tongue, a mirror image of Vergil's behavior._

_"And you," Lady said as she turned to face Dante full-on, "Why the hell were you laughing?"_

_Dante gave her a flabbergasted look, "Whaaat? I wasn't laughing... I had something in my throat."_

_Vergil snorted as Nero rolled his eyes, both of them still silent and content to let Lady yell at Dante._

_"You. Were. Laughing."_

_Dante put his hands up in surrender and smiled, "It's not my fault when you think about it. I mean Nero couldn't stop Vergil from punching him in the face with his own fist. I mean really? Who does that? And besides," he grinned as he walked over and plopped down between Vergil and Nero, "We finally got the answer to why Nero could wield Yamato. And why Mr. Freeze was acting like a bigger ass than normal to our sweet new live-in."_

_Both Nero and Vergil growled as Dante threw his arms around the two and pulled them into a hug, with him sandwiched between, "Father and son reunited! And I've got a sister in law that can kick demon ass better than her man!"_

* * *

“Stop! STOP!” Vergil yelled, his mind unable to process on the information as he struggled against the constrictions on his body and mind he was just starting to feel. With every passing moment of scenes, he could feel himself losing the battle to stay whole. The high pitched voice laughed for a moment and then cut off. The yellow eyes filled his vision again and he felt his chest rise and fall rapidly, feeling like he wasn't getting enough air.

“Ohhh...this-s-s is-s-s good...The Trophy...The Warrior...Mmmm.” The creature hummed thoughtfully to itself, paying no attention to Vergil or his trials.

“You...Vergil... S-s-son of S-s-sparda... You will s-s-set in motion... our s-s-salvation... For now, your Will must be hidden...but s-s-soon... S-s-soon you will be... whole...”

Vergil screamed in agony as pain shot through his body and seemed to bleed his organs. His body shook as his voice reached the same agonizing fever pitch he'd first awoken too. He had no room to ponder the creature's words. He didn't know when he stopped screaming, or even if he did. But it wasn't long before he stood before Mundus again.

“My Lord.” He said, voice void of any and all emotion. Mundus ran his eyes over his naked body before looking at his dull, lifeless eyes. A smirk played on his lips and Vergil felt nothing as Mundus rose from his throne of bones and metal.

“Come.”


	5. An Ideal Beauty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man... I don't really have words to express my absolute delight and gratitude to Limboolian for making another beautiful, kick ass, peice of art for one of my chapters. Seriously, I'm at a loss for words. If I ever get a book deal, this woman is designing my covers!
> 
> Thank you so much Limboolian! ^_^
> 
> **If any of you are curious about the other work of art she made you can find it [HERE](https://www.quackit.com/html/codes/html_link_code.cfm). If you haven't read _Angels May Fall_ or _Mirror of Malice_ please do check them out. They can be found in either my complete list of works or the Tales of Devil May Cry series.**

* * *

Lips.

Lucius, full lips.

They were like an angels', kissing along his neck and whispering sweet nothings into his ear. A soft wet tongue licked his erect nipple and sent shivers down his spine. It was ecstasy in living form and as those lips and tongue caressed his naked body into pleasure, Vergil knew one thing...

He needed to wake up from this nightmare.

“You're so strong and lean...” Said a sweet female voice in his ear as her lips sucked on his earlobe. The sensation drew not a sound from his lips but inside he was bursting to moan. This was painful – not just in his groin, but in his soul. He wanted to beg for release, the urge causing too much strain on his muscles and yet he stood there like a lifeless marionette without strings.

“Such a clever one. You truly are your father's son...body and soul.” The female voice drifted around to his other side, tongue licking and lips kissing.

It wasn't just the seduction. He could deal with that. After all, he may not have had the same bravado of his brother when it came to women, but he had enough experience to ignore a woman's charms. Physical or not. This...this was different. The energy that drove through him and burned in his veins like a fire; it rose a demand in him he had never known.

'Love' wasn't the right word.

'Lust' maybe?

'Passion' seemed too innocent and 'eroticism' wasn't accurate either. Though, he had to admit the blindfold he wore did leave much to his imagination...

Though he wasn't in control of his body anymore, there seemed to be a small spark of what made him... _him_. It was buried so deep inside his psyche that any time he had an original thought, it took a long time for his brain to process it. For instance, he'd been at the mercy of the energy-driven lips and tongue for over an hour. His erection a hard force between his legs, throbbing painfully and making him feel light headed. And no matter how much he may have wanted to...he still couldn't fucking move.

It was in this hour that he had let that small part of himself let his imagination run wild. Maybe this woman was his dream girl? He didn't believe in soul mates, but he did have an inkling that the 'ideal' woman was possible to achieve. After all, his father and mother were the perfect couple until her death. Or at least he felt they were. Which brought up a new and entirely different topic altogether.

What or who, was his 'ideal' woman?

As the female voice continued to tease him with her words, lips, and tongue. He imagined all aspects of the woman he'd find desirable. He liked long hair. The color didn't matter, but it had to belong. Maybe a little wavy? Like it was braided constantly. He had a partial affinity to blue eyes, but any color would do. He pictured her with curves, chest, and ass especially. Toned and yet, not thin. Her face would appear sharp-featured but would have a softness to it. An almost innocence that she managed to maintain even through trials and tribulations. She'd be kind – annoyingly so. Why that was an 'ideal', he had no clue.

This woman he pictured would have a set of skills. His mother was a wonderful cook, so that was something he'd want in a woman. She'd have to be a fighter because he never liked the fact that his human mother was so vulnerable. Most definitely she had to be a neat person, a slob was more Dante's style. If she loved to read as much as he had, that would also appeal to him. She would speak softly, purposefully – as if every word was true and it would be. There would be no deceit, he could trust her with his life and never worry...

Vergil had become so wrapped up in this image of his 'ideal' woman, that when a strong hand suddenly gripped his erection his body spammed violently. His hips attempted to thrust into the hand vigorously, trying desperately to find the release he needed on a physical level. The act shattered the image he had spent the last hour trying to make real. Drawing a shaky breath from his lips as his breathing increased.

The hand stroked him, allowing him to indulge for a few blissful moments until it pulled away. Vergil's mind cried out in anger and dismay. But the curses he wanted to scream never left his parted lips. A moment later the blindfold was pulled off his eyes and he was finally able to see his seducer.

She... It... wasn't a woman at all. Or at least it didn't look like a woman, not completely. Its face was home to a series of surgical stitches over its eyes and lips. How it had been speaking to him he didn't know, but the horrid knowledge that this thing had been touching him and had made him feel such a way made him wish for death for the millionth time.

Head shaved, skin a sickly faded green; its hands ran up and down his chest as it pressed its naked body to him. Its skin was so cold and it pressed its half-formed breasts up against him. Inside his was thrashing wildly, he could feel the mental scars from previous tortures that Mundus had submitted him too. He didn't care, if brain damage was his only salvation in this hellhole, so be it.

Behind him, Vergil heard Mundus's delighted laughter as the creature rubbed its body up and down his.

“You know, I often wondered if your father's racist separation about what the 'ideal' of beauty was ever transferred through his blood into his seed. I can tell from your energy, lifeless and dull that it is – that you are revolted by my precious Bella showing you her affection.”

The creature gripped his hard shaft again, drawing out another barely formed moan and began stroking him slowly as Vergil heard Mundus approach from his perch. He was vaguely aware of Mundus coming up to stand just off to the side of him, gripping the back of his neck. Leaning forward he whispered into Vergil's ear with a low demonic rumble.

“You think that this is torture? You believe that there is nothing left for me to do to you? You're wrong Vergil. I'm going to abuse you. Violate you. Rape your mind and soul purely for my benefit and amusement. Your icy mentality is nothing compared to the fires I've lived with since before your father existed. You're going to die here, Vergil. But not before I drain every...last...bit...of your soul.”

The words sank deep, driven by Mundus's dark energy and followed by the sexual desire that had been pulsing forever now. The creature made a sound like a giggle as it wrapped its arms around his neck and pulled its self up, body opening to take his full hard length inside itself.

Vergil’s dead eyes and unmoving body never wavered as the creature pleasured itself, chilling his body with its dead skin and soulless face. The grip on the back of his neck was just for Mundus's pleasure, serving no purpose other than a front row seat for Vergil's body convulsing with orgasm and blood trickling from his nose.


	6. Memories in Ice

* * *

"Father, can you tell me about Heaven?"

"Heaven?"

"Yes. Surely there must be one?" Vergil held his father's gaze as he stood before him, a small boy of only four. His brother was currently helping their mother with baking and Vergil had slipped away to ask a question that had been on his mind since his father first spoke of Hell.

His father looked at him for a long time, the fireplace cracking softly and giving the living room a warm glow. His features were strong, having heavy lines around his mouth which seemed to be permanently set in its own hard line. After what seemed an incredibly long period of time, Sparda leaned forward and coaxed Vergil closer to him. He stepped forward, ears perked and ready for the answer.

"I've never seen Heaven."

Vergil frowned as his father's voice was flat and absolute. It gave no indication of continuing and Vergil found himself irritated by this statement.

"But there must be a Heaven if there is a Hell. There's talk about it in the old books in the library."

Sparda nodded once and leaned back in his hair. His white hair shifting slightly to cover part of his face, casting it in shadow.

"I think at one time, there probably was. Though I imagine now it has either been destroyed or is closed off forever to Humans and Demons."

Vergil became thoughtful as he took in this information and was suddenly spurred with a new question.

"What about Angels? If Demons exist, so much Angels." His voice sounded sure of it before his father could squash his idea.

Sparda regarded Vergil for a moment, his blue eyes meeting his son's without hesitation as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Yes, Angels are real. Though they do not take the same forms they once did."

"Father?" Vergil asked, confused.

"But I will say," His father continued on, his voice thoughtful and uncharacteristically soft, "If you do see an Angel, one not twisted and vexed from Darkness... Remember this, there are no secrets to be kept from one. It will see you for who you truly are, what you are worth. It will see all your misdeeds and all your virtues. There is no hiding from it. It will judge you. If you deny the truth or try to lie, it will kill you."

* * *

Vergil blinked his frost-covered lashes with effort. The first time he'd done it his eyes had frozen shut and it took all the strength he had left to peel his eyes open. His body was currently embedded in a frozen lake of ice. He could make out what appeared to be other heads sticking up out of the lake, but he couldn't speak to call out to them and even if he could, he was sure they wouldn't be able to hear him anyway.

The ice cracked occasionally, digging into his raw skin and sending sharp stabbing sensations right to his bones. He couldn't remember how he managed to get into such a place, but he knew that he had been here a long time. Even though he was thinking to himself, his thoughts were still too slow and languid. Sometimes a thought wouldn't even make its way all the way to his brain and he'd forget the train of thought he had been on. Moments later the small piece of him that was left would scream in frustration.

Something moved quickly in the ice fog that sat at his eye level. The dark shadow wasn't big by any means and seemed to scurry along the ice surface from one exposed head to another. Sometimes it would stop and it looked as if it was speaking to whoever was stuck in the ice. Able to focus on something seemed to give him some kind of strange purpose as he tracked its movements. An eternity passed before the shadow came scurrying towards him.

As it drew closer Vergil realized that it wasn't so much of a demon, as he first thought, but more of a small furred creature. An animal maybe? But for the life of him, he couldn't quite put his finger on what the hell it was. A dog? A cat? Maybe it was some kind of fox?

While he was trying to figure it out, its overall shapeshifted. It grew into the size of a man and walked toward him, a knowing smirk on its face. The walk shifted from something fluid to more of a strut and Vergil felt his stomach clench violently at the sudden realization of who it was.

"Hey bro." The creature who looked like Dante said. The voice was a dead match and if he hadn't seen the shift he would have been sure that it _was_ Dante. His white hair was in his sharp blue eyes and he was still sporting that ridiculous red leather coat and leather pants. His boots tapped loudly on the ice as he walked closer, stopping and squatting down to get a closer look at Vergil's face.

"Wow. You know...this is the kind of thing I wanted to avoid. I mean shit! You're a dumb ass! What did you think was going to happen? Did you think that you were going to just fall to Hell and earn dad's power?" Dante chuckled and poked Vergil's forehead hard. His neck was so frozen that his head didn't give at all and Dante shook his head.

"You know for the smart one, you're an idiot." Dante propped his elbow up on his knee and rested his cheek on his fist. Unable to reply, Vergil merely looked at him. It wasn't the first time Dante had verbally voiced his irritation or called him stupid. Why would this Dante be any different? It was kind of nice in a way. Painful, but nice.

Dante's face shifted, becoming an ugly sneer as his blue eyes flashed red. Vergil didn't know if it was possible, but it felt like the ice got suddenly colder.

"I hope you die, bro. Not because I can't stand to see you frozen in this lake for the rest of your days. But because you betrayed me. We were brothers! Son's of Sparda! You tossed us aside the moment you stole my half of the amulet and opened the tower. You're as selfish was you ever were, which shouldn't have surprised me."

Dante spat in Vergil's face, the saliva instantly freezing to his cheek and forehead causing Dante to laugh with mirth.

"On second thought..." He whispered as he leaned closer to Vergil's ear, "I hope you stay like this forever. Maybe next time I'll take a piss on your head."

Dante stood suddenly and walked off, leaving Vergil still frozen in the icy lake. A lot of time passed before Vergil remembered that it wasn't really Dante who had spoken to him.


	7. Angel of Mercy

* * *

Vergil felt numb, body and soul. What little thoughts he had were jumbled and didn't make any sense. His mind felt void of all emotion, memory, and desire. There wasn't anything left of him... Even his body had suffered considerably. His ribs were showing starkly through is pale skin. His face was too scruffy with his hair too long. His body, naked and emaciated, was barely able to stand anymore. His limbs shook from the amount of effort it took to stand before his Lord.

Mundus gazed at him, his eyes were half-massed and bored. He sat on his throne of bones and metal, sipping casually now and then from a chalice. Vergil simply stood and stared ahead, not focusing on anything in particular.

_I..._

“Well, it seems the bastard seed of Sparda is stronger than I thought. It's a pity really, that our time is about to be cut short.” Mundus smirked as he rested his cheek on his fist, his other hand holding the chalice.

_Want..._

“It seems,” Mundus said thoughtfully, taking another long drink from his cup. “That in order to break the seals of the Hell Gates, I must possess the blood of the man who created the Key...” He let the words hang in the empty room, echoing faintly back to them. Vergil swayed slightly but still managed to stand.

_To..._

“Yamato... The Cursed Blade... The Divine Key... Did you know your father was the finest crafter of divine metal? One of the very few of our kind not affected by its binding qualities.” Mundus seemed to be talking to Vergil, but he wasn't really listening. The words seemed to have some meaning, something important but his brain wasn't able to focus.

_Die..._

Mundus stood and downed the last of the contents of the chalice. before tossing it somewhere. The sound of metal hitting stone was loud and Mundus grinned as he approached Vergil.

“Time to get you cleaned up. She won't touch you in this state.”

Mundus grabbed the back of Vergil's neck and forced him to a half bent position. No sound of pain or being startled escaped him and Mundus laughed loudly.

“You may appear to be broken, but I need your power in order to take back what is rightfully mind.”

Vergil said nothing as Mundus gripped his long white hair and yanked him forward as he walked towards his bedroom. As they approached the doors, they swung inward and Mundus pushed Vergil hard. He lost his footing and fell hard on the stone floor. A few moments later two women, bound in leather and metal harnesses that wrapped painfully around their bodies, approached Vergil's collapsed body.

“Clean him up. Make him worthy of meeting the Angel of Mercy.” Mundus laughed again, dark an ominous before he turned and left the room.

* * *

The cell in the lower part of the dungeons was cold. The floor was hard compacted dirt and the walls were made of ancient looking stones. Vergil's eyes adjusted quickly to the low light of the cell, but he couldn't recall how he managed to get in this place. He was wearing clothing for the first time in a long time and his body felt fighting ready. But how? He couldn't remember. All that mattered was where he was at present.

Mundus sat in a chair in the far corner of the room facing a creature... Her body was covered in demonic looking pearl white armor. It covered every inch of her as well as her face. Long white hair fell down over the front of her shoulders to her hips. Soft white feathered wings framed her, giving her a godlike appearance as they shifted and moved with anticipation strapped under a metal harness. He'd seen this demon before...in a cage. He recognized her for a moment, but then it was gone.

Mundus smirked and nodded in Vergil's direction, “Ah, Vergil. You've come. Let us begin.”

Mundus clapped his hands loudly once and in a movement that was too quick for him to follow, the demon lunged at him and slammed him into the nearby wall. He would have fought back, but his Lord hadn't given the order yet.

“Oh come now, Vergil. You can't lay there limply. How is she going to have her fun?” Mundus chided like a disappointed father before his voice turned commanding.

“Fight.”

With the order given, Vergil's body surged forward and he attacked. He had no weapon, but he knew how to strike just fine. He'd often sparred with Dante when they were children...

_Dante?_

Vergil's mind shuddered and as the demon rose up from her predatory strike stance her eyes shifted. The blue of her eyes glowed and she lunged at him again.

And so began their fight. Night after night. Day after day. Mundus would leave Vergil in the cell with the demon when he wasn't present and he would simply lay where he had last landed during their fight. It took a long time for him to notice she wasn't always covered in armor. When they were fighting, she looked like a delicate woman. The harness around her chest and wings looked painful and faintly glowed after their combat.

After a particularly long battle, Vergil was leaning up against the far corner of the room. He stared off into space, trying to figure out how many scratches there were on the stone walls. This demon woman had been here for a long time. While his mind drifted, he felt the first tingle of energy wrap around him. It wasn't dark like his Lord's, but it was just as strong. Just as compelling to be obeyed. Within seconds he felt it seep into his core and it spoke to him.

_Look at me._

Vergil shifted his eyes until he was looking at the woman on the other side of the cell. Her eyes were glowing faintly blue and he thought for a moment that she looked rather beautiful. He felt her energy, her essence, drift in and out of him. It searched his mind and he could almost feel a memory forming, but it disappeared too quickly to catch. The feeling was so intense that he blinked slowly at her when she suddenly appeared in front of him. Her small hands cupped his face as she gazed at him.

_Vergil..._

The voice in his head whispered and some small part of him stirred. He wanted to answer that call. The energy dove deeper, whispering his name like a long lost lover. The skin under her hands was growing hot and Vergil felt his body shaking, either from the physical contact or the energy pushing inside him he didn't know.

She brought her head closer to him and touched her forehead to his gently.

“I am sorry for your pain. You are a good man. A fierce warrior. Your energy...your soul is made up of two halves. Perfectly balanced...It's almost intoxicating.” She took a deep breath and laid a kiss on his cheek as her fingertips brushed his cheeks, trying to soothe him.

“I will help you Vergil, Son of Sparda. I will repay your father's kindness to me.”

Vergil shuddered as her lips touche his skin and blinked slowly at her. She was so beautiful...so mesmerizing...an Angel sent to free him.


	8. Consciousness At Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter. >_< I had this scene in my head for a few days and couldn't seem to make it longer when written down. Might have to come back later and flush this out when my brain is working better.

* * *

The first clear thought that wasn't slow or that reached his brain in pieces, wasn't a thought at all. It was screaming.

Vergil screamed in agony for so long and so loud that he thought he'd break his own ribs just by the sheer force of it. He gripped his hair as he squatted down low, his voice broken by the screaming. He thought he'd just scream until he couldn't anymore, but he never seemed to stop. Just when he felt he was getting close to stopping, his mind would give a painful stabbing that reached his eyes and the screaming redoubled.

Soft, dirty, delicate hands touched his shaking shoulders in an attempt to soothe him. It didn't help, if anything it made things worse. Memories of hanging by his wrists, of being seduced by a faceless demon, and being immobile in a frozen lake while his brother taunted him flooded back. Children and their innocent faces stuck forever in the last moment of life with tears in their eyes.

Vergil snapped.

He shoved the hands away from him and power flared with his hatred. The horror of what he had endured, the feelings he had separated himself from in order to stay whole... They all came back in stark color and contrast.

“Shhh, Vergil. You must calm yourself.” Said a gentle female voice. His eyes snapped to the sound and found the demon... no, woman... standing naked with a thick metal harness around her chest. Her long white hair hid parts of her chest and drifted limply around her thighs as she held her hands up as a show of being unarmed.

“Get. Away. From. Me.” He forced the words to leave him and the came out dark, demonic and threatening. He didn't remember how he got where he was, but it didn't matter. He knew deep down that Mundus had put him in this prison.

“Vergil.” The woman said softly once again. The kindness made him cringe and he lashed out. He Devil Triggered and leaped at her with clawed hands. His demonic form erupted forth and drowned the small cell in an electric hate-filled energy. The woman... demon... wasn't where he had struck and instead she had moved behind him. She moved too fast for him to see and it angered him.

“Please, you must calm down. I know that you have been through much. I'm trying–.” Her words were cut off before she could finish as he lunged at her again. She moved swiftly in the small space, suddenly appearing behind him again. He turned and attempted to grab her, but was rewarded with just grabbing a few strands of her silver-white hair.

“I'm trying to help you.” She said again. Her blue eyes glowed faintly in the darkness as well as the harness.

“I don't need _your_ help.”

“Yes, _you_ do.”

Vergil growled and turned away from her to head towards the door. For now, it seemed that he was in control of his own body. He would escape while he could and then make preparations to destroy Mundus. However, before he could attempt to force his way through the thick, metal reinforced door she was suddenly in front of him again.

“You cannot leave. You're not healed yet.”

He merely glared at her, his demon form was intimidating and yet she acted as if he was still in his normal form. He bared his demonic sharp teeth and she frowned at him with full lips.

“Your moment of clarity is only for the moment. It will take time to undo all that has been done to you. You are not...sane.”

Her words were earnest as she frowned at him. Her eyes were sad and pleading that he listen to reason, but he wasn't a fool. He would not fall for one of Mundus's tricks again.

“I _will not_ be a slave again!” Anger flared and he punched the door next to her head hard. The door shook with the power and dust drifted down from the ceiling to coat them both in a fine layer of it.

The woman looked at him with her big innocent eyes and he felt the first trickle of energy wrapping around him. He tried to fight it with everything he had, but he was powerless. Her energy wasn't dark or foreboding like Mundus, but gentle. Commanding, yes. But it wasn't filled with ill intent or trickery. Vergil felt his Devil Trigger dissipate and he was back in his normal form. The power he'd called on to shift had taken a lot out of him and he collapsed on the dirt floor.

The woman was there in a moment, holding his head in her lap as she sat down next to him. Carefully, she combed his ratty hair with her long fingers. The motion was calming and the energy that had seeped into him eased. He knew he could get up if he wanted to. But for some reason, the touch of her fingers on his hair and skin made something in his chest ease. It wasn't a safe feeling, but it was...calm.

“I will not harm you. But you must listen carefully. In moments, Mundus will be here and command us to fight. He wants me to drain your power and transfer it to him in order to gain the ability to move through the Hell Gates freely. He has discovered that he does not need the Cursed Blade to gain entrance to the Human world. I fear this is my fault...” She looked pained and Vergil noticed that the wings encased in the harness around her body tried to shift and move.

“I was the one who gave Sparda the ability to transverse the Hell Gates freely without a Key. He must have passed the power on to his sons...” Her words drifted off and silence fell in the cold, stone cell. Vergil was unable to stop looking at her face as she continued to comb his hair gently with her fingertips.

“I will not let a Son of Sparda die here and I will not allow Mundus to unleash his reign on the Human world. Please believe me when I say, I will help you, Vergil.” She smiled at him then and Vergil opened his mouth to ask something but as he did, the steady flow of energy snapped away and Vergil felt his consciousness disappear as the door to the cell opened. The last thing he saw was Mundus smirking as he entered.

“Well my Trophy and my Slave, let's begin, shall we? I'm in need of entertainment.”


	9. The Little Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because damn if I don't like writing smut about Vergil and Mercy...
> 
> And because I like to see Vergil's soft side...
> 
> Even if he's currently treatening to kill me right now. >_<

* * *

The veil had lifted. Which is to say, that Vergil was aware of everything. It had taken time to get to this point. The battles with the _Trophy_ , a horrible name in his opinion and extremely demeaning, were long and normally only ended when he was badly beaten by her. His previous pride would have convinced himself that he _allowed_ her to beat him. Allowed her to break his bones and bloody him to the point where he was sure he would die. But...  
  
That pride was a thing of the past now. With her help, he was able to keep up the farce that he was still a mindless puppet on strings in front of Mundus. How he didn't seem to pick up on it was curious and yet he found that every time they fought for his amusement and plans for power, he feared that Mundus would catch on. It wasn't fear for himself either. All that he had endured had affected him so deeply that he couldn't explain why or how, but he feared for _Her_.  
  
Her name was Mercy. A perfect name for a perfect creature... An Angel...  
  
Vergil had never been so conflicted about his emotions before. He was sure that she could feel him as their talks alone in the darkness had proven to him that she had more clarity than she let on. She would also heal him with her shifting of energy after every battle and he could almost feel her emotional conflict back-lashing into his own thoughts. He wasn't sure when it happened, but he cared for her...  
  
And then there was 'the moment'. Dante had said that life was chaotic and it was the choices one made that would steer that chaos into what he called 'perfect moments'. It was oddly poetic of his brother and at the time it was nothing more than a stupid notion by his idiot brother. But he was right.  
  
Vergil sat next to Mercy as she tended to his fresh wounds. Her hands were warm on his bare chest as she gently pushed her energy into him. It was exhausting for her, he knew. Regardless of his previous attempts to push her away from him, she would still insist until he caved. Finally, after many long arguments with the stubborn, yet kind woman; he gave up even trying to force her away from him.  
  
They sat quietly and Vergil felt the ache in his chest ease as his breastplate seemed to knit itself back together. His ribs had been shattered too and punctured a lung. He'd been drowning in his own blood and couldn't seem to stop the involuntary panic as Death came to claim him. She couldn't help him while Mundus was in the cell, though it was clear she was healing him. The bastard had taken his time watching him gasp for air before finally leaving. Mercy had rushed to his side immediately after the cell door slammed shut.  
  
That was an hour ago...  
  
“You are almost healed. Please hold still for a little longer.” Her words were soft and her voice was gentle. The low light glowing from her harness while she worked lit her face and he wasn't able to stop himself from gazing at her.  
  
Full lips held firmly in concentration and there was this wrinkle between her brow that was almost...cute.  
  
 _Cute?_  
  
Vergil blinked at her, lost in the rogue thought that suddenly struck him. She wasn't just cute, but beautiful. Her long silver-white hair flowed over her naked body, covering the softness of her pale skin and yet revealing a sensuousness that made his chest tighten. He could feel his heart start to pick up its pace as he felt compelled to touch her. He wanted to touch that soft pale skin. Lay kisses on it and caress her skin until goosebumps formed and her breathing hitched.  
  
“There.” She said finally and Vergil snapped out of the vividness of his thoughts. For a moment, he thought he actually had touched her. She leaned back on her knees and smiled kindly at him, her large blue eyes soft and tired.  
  
“Thank you.” He mumbled. Did he feel embarrassed? No that wasn't the right word. But it was close. Something close to it though.  
  
Mercy looked at him surprised and a heartbeat later, she smiled at him. It was so pure, kind and...  
  
“That's the first time you've ever said thank you.” Her words interrupted his thoughts and the compulsion to touch her came back with force. Before he could stop himself, his hands came up and he caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. Her skin was so soft, just like he imagined it would be. They stared into each other eyes and he felt her tense under his touch. She didn't pull away from him, which made him want to touch her more.  
  
Never in his life had he felt so strongly. Not about one person anyway. His convictions; his pursuit to be better than his father; to take revenge on Mundus; those were strong, sure things that seemed...so much smaller than the thing in front of him.  
  
Mercy seemed to find the Will to move and brought her hands up to gently grip his wrists. She didn't pull him away, just gently rested her hands on him.  
  
“Vergil...we can't–,”  
  
He couldn't stop himself as he cut her words off with a kiss. Bringing her full lips to his, he barely kissed her at first. He was unsure of himself, this conflict of emotions was tormenting him so and the feeling that had been brewing for what felt like years; erupted from his chest in a warm wash of certainty.  
  
 _Mine._  
  
That one word sounded so possessive as he kissed her deeper. Hesitantly, she kissed him back and soon the timid kiss turned into a passionate one.  
  
 _No, she's not mine,_ he thought to himself. _I don't want to cage her. I don't want to make her feel imprisoned... I want to be hers._  
  
Mercy tensed as if sensing his thoughts and suddenly pulled away from him.  
  
“What?” She whispered.  
  
Had she heard him? Had she felt this feeling that had been bubbling beneath the surface for so long?  
  
Her glowing blue eyes searched his, her breath panting as she stared at him. All that confidence that he had just felt seemed to get cut down again when she didn't move. His heart was hammering so hard in his chest he thought he might actually die this time. Physically he was fine, but something inside him whispered to him that if she rejected him it would kill the last human part of himself.  
  
Something he didn't even know that he would have missed.  
  
“I can feel you.” She finally spoke as she closed her eyes for a moment. “I can feel your emotions. Your heart, your breath. I've felt it for a while now. This is the first time you've come to realize what you are feeling...” Mercy whispered the last few words and Vergil felt his panic rise. His face was a hard mask of icy nothing, but he felt like he was completely bare for her to see.  
  
Opening her eyes, Mercy leaned forward on her knees and placed her delicate hands on his bare shoulders. She had removed his shirt to heal his chest, the only article of clothing left being his pants. The increased physical contact made him take a sharp breath. Her lips smiled sweetly at him and this time she kissed him. A tickle of the fine hairs on the back of his neck warned him of the coming feeling of her energy wrapping around him.  
  
She pushed her energy into him and this time it felt different. It wasn't the healing energy or the surgical force of energy she'd used to free his mind. No, this was an energy of pure emotion. Her fear of her feelings, a mix of love and wanting. She wanted him, needed him and she feared that it would break what was left of herself. Like him, she was unable to stop the feelings and when the emotion-filled him completely it back washed in a rapid flow back to her.  
  
Their emotions, thoughts and something that didn't have a word, mixed together in a brilliant wave. Unable to stop himself anymore, his control all but lost he growled deeply as she nibbled his lip. His strong arms wrapped around her small frame and brought her to straddle his lap. Without a word between them, as if they'd be lovers forever, she wrapped her legs around his waist.  
  
They kissed passionately as their hands drifted over each other bodies and Vergil felt the hardness in his pants protest against the strain. The push and pull of their combined energy increased and she moaned so sweetly in his ear as he cupped her round ass.  
  
He wanted to make love to her. He wanted to lose himself in her, body and soul. The feeling was so powerful and ran so deep that he held her tightly to him as he stood. She wasn't surprised by his motions, he could feel it. But when he propped her back up against the stone cold wall a shudder ran through her.  
  
“Vergil...”  
  
God, he could never get enough of her saying his name like that. Those lips would be his undoing. Surprisingly, he was okay with that. He steadied her with one strong arm as she kissed his neck, wrapped around him as he used his other hand to unbutton his pants. He was panting with need, the shifting of energy demanding him to action.  
  
With his erection exposed, painfully throbbing, he groaned as she reached between them and gave him a few slow strokes. Her fingers massaging the head, wet with his desire. Vergil groaned louder. He couldn't be gentle right now. He didn't have it in him. He thought he'd already lost control, but when her lips wrapped around his ear lobe and sucked suggestively...  
  
“Oh god...” He moaned, his body shuddering as she guided him into her sweet, wet folds. She felt tight, and his girth stretched her as he pushed into her core. Mercy let out a loud moan of pleasure as he nuzzled her neck. Her harness was digging into his chest, but he didn't care. Once he was all the way in, the energy spiked and he started to pump in and out of her core.  
  
Their moans and passionate filled voices echoed in the stone cell as he thrust in and out of her. Their energy rising higher with every plunge and he came all too soon. He spilled into her, the gush filling her completely and run down between them. Yet, he couldn't stop. His body compelled him to keep thrusting as their bodies came together. He felt euphoric as his consciousness seemed to get lost in hers.

Mercy's nails dug into his shoulders, drawing blood and still he thrust into her. Her voice reached a high pitch as her body trembled against him and when she came, it reflected in her energy. Vergil let out a loud half yell as he came again, harder than he ever had. It was almost maddening, this climax of theirs.  
  
They collapsed still wrapped up in each other, her on top of him and both of them panting heavily. The mix of their release and energy was coming down now. Slowly separating their individual thought patterns. The relief he felt, the love hit somewhere deep inside of him and he held her tightly to him as her body continued to spasm around him.  
  
Vergil felt something wet at the corner of his eyes as he stared at the stone ceiling of the cell above him. Mercy shifted her head slightly and kissed his cheek.  
  
“You're crying...” She panted softly in his ear after a moment.  
  
He wasn't able to find the words to express this feeling. It was so pure that more tears fell from his eyes as he silently closed them. Mercy kissed him gently, showering him lovingly as he wept. He hadn't shed a single tear since his mother died...  
  
And though he experienced something life-changing just now, with those tears he felt like a piece of himself died.  
  
But it wasn't bad.  
  
That piece that died had been his regret...  
  
His regret for not being strong enough to protect his family.  
  
His regret for not being the brother he should have been.  
  
His regret for his arrogance at entering Hell to defeat Mundus.  
  
So much regret...  
  
Just a little death to make room for something new...  
  
 _Love...?_


	10. To Hell and Back

They couldn't keep doing this for much longer, he knew. It was clear that Mundus was noticing Vergil reacting more to Mercy's attacks. He wasn't as robotic as he once was. His motions were too fluid and he managed to get in a few good attacks by accident. Mercy had cautioned him to not lose his control, but it was hard. He had so much anger, not at Mercy...but with himself. Somehow fighting seemed to help release all that pent-up frustration and misery.  
  
Deep down something inside him told him the end was coming. The end of his time with Mercy...  
  
And it was killing him...  
  
When they weren't fighting for Mundus's amusement, they talked. He found that while she was a calm and quiet woman, she also had a stubborn side. Her sense of humor tended to be just as dry as his own and he never grew tired of her voice. It calmed him and made his heart pound at the same time.  
  
They spoke about his family, mainly his father and his time in Hell. She had told him how he had forged Yamato as a key to keeping Hell closed off from the rest of the world. How he had tried to free her, but it was a vain attempt that almost lead to his capture. She had, in turn, gifted him with the ability to move freely through the gates in order to help him protect the Human world. Something only she was able to do, a power she had been given upon her creation. Or so she tried to explain.  
  
He was well versed in the stories of Angels and how they fell from 'grace' to become Demons. The problem was that after all this time in the dungeons, her memory had begun to fade. But she explained what she could and how she was able to purify the negative energy that Demons soaked up like sponges.  
  
His father had been a fierce warrior and could have ruled over Hell, but he fell in love with a human...his mother.  
  
“That,” She spoke earnestly, “Changed everything. Word of his copulation with a human spread throughout Hell and Mundus wanted to make an example of him and your mother. I'm sorry that they were both killed.”  
  
Her words were soft and full of sympathy and Vergil smiled sadly as he wrapped his arms around her. Why she was so concerned for him over something that he'd come to terms with, he found exasperating and endearing. And the fear that it was all going to end seemed imminent.  
  
Mercy seemed to sense this in him and she grew quiet. He wasn't able to feel energy fluxes like she did, or able to manipulate them, but something stirred in his soul and he would get inklings of how she felt. It was bizarre and yet, he knew when Mundus came to rip him away from her that that bond would snap painfully.  
  
Without words, they naturally found each others lips and shared a deep kiss. Unlike the many kisses before it, it wasn't filled with the fire he knew they both had grown accustomed too. This one was filled with so many unspoken words, so many hopes and dreams that would never see sunlight. It hurt as deep as his love went for her. He had cursed himself so many times for his arrogance to enter Hell, and now he cursed himself because he was powerless to stop their parting.  
  
So he did the only thing he could for her.  
  
He kissed her lips, her cheeks, neck, and breasts. He massaged her skin with his fingertips and let his hands try and remember her curvy body. She moaned softly into the darkness as he took his time, memorizing every little thing about her. They were both more than ready for their lovemaking, but Vergil held off as he forced himself to take his time.  
  
This would be the last time...  
  
He didn't know how he knew that. Whether it was the tickle of her energy wrapping around him or the tightening in his chest, he didn't know. But he was sure of it.  
  
“Mercy...” He whispered lovingly in her ear as she let her hands caress his skin the same he had hers. Words seemed so trite, but he needed to speak them out loud or he would regret it. Even if he was forced to practically forget himself again.  
  
“I love you...” He whispered again into her ear as he slowly entered her. Her body shuddered with the feel of him slowly pumping in and out of her. He wanted to find release, wanted to give her her own... but he held back.  
  
“V-Vergil...I-I'm sorry...” She half moaned, half sobbed as bloody tears slipped down her cheeks. Their energy had already begun its normal back and forth but this time...it felt different. It felt numbing almost and yet, the flow back and forth between their two souls drove him to thrust harder. Their bodies and energy swam together and it wasn't long before he was at his peak.  
  
This wasn't right...  
  
Something about it was off like he wasn't in control of his body anymore and when he finally realized what was happening it was too late.  
  
“Vergil...I love you... Please...f-forgive me.”

* * *

Vergil woke up with a start. His head was pounding and his body felt like he'd been burned alive and then healed several million times over. While there were no injuries that he could see, he felt wobbly and dizzy as he pushed himself off the cracked stone floor.  
  
“What am I...?” He mumbled, growling as his head gave a painful throb. Where was he? The place looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't place it. He tried to remember how he had gotten there, but the last thing he remembered was the Fall.  
  
Aware that he was alone and possibly in danger, Vergil forced himself to stand. The cave appeared to be naturally made with a hint of some modification by someone. The river that ran just a few yards away was quick and the noise echoed in the cave.  
  
It was then that he noticed he was naked and dirty. Not just dirty, but filthy. As if he had been rolling around in muck for years. Disgusted and head throbbing unmercifully, Vergil stumbled towards the small river and began to wash by its bank. It took a long time, but by the time he was reasonably clean the pain in his head and dulled to just an annoying headache.  
  
“Hmph,” He snorted as he turned towards the darkness of the cave. Now that his head was clearer he vaguely recognized the place, though it had been a long time since he had been this far below its castle foundation.  
  
“Fortuna Castle.”  
  
He wondered if Dante was still trying to live a 'normal' life with humans. For some unknown reason, he felt like he needed to find his little brother. Not because he was concerned for him or anything as emotional as that. But the word 'family' kept creeping up in his mind, like a long forgotten memory he couldn't shake or fully grasp.  
  
“Well, I suppose I should stop by.”  
  
He smirked to himself as he made his way towards the back of the cave where he knew there was a hidden door with a staircase. He may have fallen to Hell, but it looked like he made it out just fine.  
  
Just like his father...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Limboolian, 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this little prequel fic and I hope it met your expectations, if not exceeded them. ^_^ This was a joy to write and I hope I'll be able to return to the DMC world again. 
> 
> Thank you for your wonderful comments and the beautiful pieces of artwork you've made for my fics. I cherish them so much, you have no idea!
> 
> Keep in touch!
> 
> ~ 6_Binx_6


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